1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to apparatus adapted to be controlled manually or automatically for dispensing either separately or in a predetermined number articles taken from a stack thereof, for example from a stack of said articles kept in a suitable magazine. This invention is applicable more particularly to the dispensing of containers such as tumblers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Tumbler dispensing apparatus, adapted to release separately tumblers stacked within the apparatus, are already known. In these apparatus, the stacked tumblers are supported in the inoperative condition of the apparatus by causing the peripheral bead or flange of the lowermost tumbler in the stack to bear on the inner, in-turned edge of a pair of hinged arms, and the tumbler to be dispensed is released by causing lateral blades to perform a movement of translation until they constitute a proper support for the peripheral bead of the second tumbler from the bottom of the stack, whereafter the hinged arms are moved away from each other in the plane of the apparatus for releasing the lowermost tumbler and allow same to fall freely through a suitable outlet aperture. In apparatus of this character, which comprise a relatively great number of movable component elements, the construction is relatively complicated, thus increasing the manufacturing cost and leading to frequent hold ups especially when these apparatus are operated carelessly.